Issue with Rain Bird ESP-me controller

Hello,
just got an irrigation system put in with a Rain Bird ESP-me controller. I have 4 zones with zone 4 set up for a future veg garden so it's not in use. The controller is programmed to run 5 minutes every day starting at 8 am. The issue is this: I noticed that it goes on 5 minutes in zones 1 thru 3 and then back another 5 minutes zones 1 thru 3 and another 5 minutes for the 3 zones. It is programmed to run 5 minutes so why is it really runnig 45 minutes in total?

This is very puzzling to me. I reset the controller twice and programmed it all from scratch but still runs a total of 45 minutes.
Any help with this is greatly appreciated.

You have probably confused run times with start times. For prog. A, set each individual station with the run time you want for each (5min.) Then go to program start times and assign just ONE start time. Each zone will run in sequence one right after the other until done. Start time 2 and 3 should be "off".

You have to read the setup instructions and understand them, to be able to follow them. Once you understand it, it's fairly simple to do.
In most cases, these timers are much more than what homeowners actually need. Some of the features are never used, but they are there.

You have to read the setup instructions and understand them, to be able to follow them. Once you understand it, it's fairly simple to do.
In most cases, these timers are much more than what homeowners actually need. Some of the features are never used, but they are there.

Re-reading the manual and based on BRD's comments, I see that the SET WATERING TIMES is to program the starts times of a PROGRAM (or PROGRAMS) and NOT the zones. I had 2 and 3 thinking them as zones but the controller took them as programs 2 and 3. After 1 ended, program 2 would start and then 3. That's why it ran 3 times. I set to OFF the PROGRAMS 2 and 3 and sure enough it only run a total of 15 minutes (5 minutes per zone).

It is running fine now as I wanted it. Thanks for all the replies and to BRD for hitting the nail in the head.

Re-reading the manual and based on BRD's comments, I see that the SET WATERING TIMES is to program the starts times of a PROGRAM (or PROGRAMS) and NOT the zones. I had 2 and 3 thinking them as zones but the controller took them as programs 2 and 3. After 1 ended, program 2 would start and then 3. That's why it ran 3 times. I set to OFF the PROGRAMS 2 and 3 and sure enough it only run a total of 15 minutes (5 minutes per zone).

It is running fine now as I wanted it. Thanks for all the replies and to BRD for hitting the nail in the head.

This seems to be explained in a confusing manner. The station start times have to be set according to your desired start times for each station to run. It seems the simple answer to aguamans question would be to ensure that you only have one program running (A or b or c).

This seems to be explained in a confusing manner. The station start times have to be set according to your desired start times for each station to run. It seems the simple answer to aguamans question would be to ensure that you only have one program running (A or b or c).

Click to expand...

THERE ARE NO STATION START TIMES!! THERE ARE ONLY PROGRAM START TIMES!!

Repeat this until you are certain you will never spread misinformation about this aspect of lawn sprinkler controller programming.

This seems to be explained in a confusing manner. The station start times have to be set according to your desired start times for each station to run. It seems the simple answer to aguamans question would be to ensure that you only have one program running (A or b or c).

Re-reading the manual and based on BRD's comments, I see that the SET WATERING TIMES is to program the starts times of a PROGRAM (or PROGRAMS) and NOT the zones. I had 2 and 3 thinking them as zones but the controller took them as programs 2 and 3. After 1 ended, program 2 would start and then 3. That's why it ran 3 times. I set to OFF the PROGRAMS 2 and 3 and sure enough it only run a total of 15 minutes (5 minutes per zone).

It is running fine now as I wanted it. Thanks for all the replies and to BRD for hitting the nail in the head.

Click to expand...

Good stuff.

For the future, when you do have your vegetable garden planted, you will want to water it less often - maybe only once or twice a week. That is where you can set up your system so that Zone 4 (veg garden) runs for, say, 30 minutes every Sunday, and program this in Program B (assuming the rest of the lawn is watered in Program A). That's the beauty of having multiple programs -- you can run a zone, or several zones, on a different schedule from the rest. You may already know this.